Protect Honeybees

 

Protect Honeybees 

Honeybees are important creatures on the earth. They help in pollination and increase crop yields .We have to protect them.   

Uchellu Pudi

Niger Seeds Chutney Powder/ Uchellu Pudi

Ingredients 

100 grams Niger Seeds/ Uchellu 

4 - 5 Garlic cloves 

2 Red Chilli (Byadgi) 

1/2 spoon Jaggery 

Tamarind pea size

Salt as per taste

Method 

Step 1: Dry Roasting

- Heat a thick-bottomed pan over medium flame.

- Add Niger Seeds and dry roast for a few minutes, stirring frequently.

- Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 2: Grinding

- In a mixer jar, combine:

    - Roasted Niger Seeds

    - Garlic cloves

    - Red chili

    - Tamarind

    - Jaggery

    - Salt

 Grind the mixture coarsely.

Result

Niger Seeds Chutney Powder is ready!

Store in an airtight container for up to 15-20 days.

Perfect for traveling or as a quick condiment.

Let us keep our tourist places clean and beautiful 

 Recently I traveled to Chickballapur. Place is calm and quiet, away from stressful city life. But I was not happy,  as everywhere there were plastic cover, plastic bottles etc thrown by travellers. 

Instead of throwing the waste everywhere , collect your trash in a plastic bag and later put it in the nearby trash bin or trash bin of your house.

By doing this, places will be clean and look beautiful. We are responsible for our trash.

While traveling, carry steel water bottles, some snacks, cloth napkin and one carry bag to put all the trash. 

Places will lose their charm if they are kept dirty. 

In countries like Singapore, USA, if people litter they are fined. Those countries are clean and beautiful. 

Small things make big difference. 

 

Electric Bus

Sustainable Living 

Last week I got a chance to travel by electric bus. It was really a nice experience. Too many cars lead to traffic congestion on roads and pollution. Everyone should make use of electric bus facility.

 

Homemade Turmeric Powder

 

Homemade Turmeric Powder 

Take 10 turmeric roots. Wash thoroughly turmeric roots in water. Slice them and dry them both sides in the sun. Sun dry for 3 - 4 days until slices become crisp. Grind dried slices of turmeric roots in a mixer jar. Store in an airtight container. Homemade Turmeric powder is ready.

Note

Here I have tried small batch of turmeric powder. 

Baked Panipuri

 Baked Panipuri 

Panipuri pellets can be baked in microwave oven for 40 seconds. I bought these readymade panipuri pellets at a store. These can be stored for 1 month.

Recipe Link for 

Panipuri

Idli with Coconut Chutney

 Idli with Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

2 Cups Urad Dal

4 Cups Idli Rava

Pinch of Cooking Soda

Salt as per taste

Method 

1. Soaking:

    - Wash and soak Urad Dal in water for 3-4 hours.

    - Wash and soak Idli Rava in water for 10 minutes.

2. Grinding:

    - Grind the soaked Urad Dal into a fine paste using a mixer jar.

3. Mixing:

    - In a large mixing bowl, combine the Urad Dal paste and Idli Rava.

4. Fermentation:

    - Ferment the idli batter for 6-8 hours or overnight.

5. Preparation:

    - After fermentation, add Salt and a pinch of Cooking Soda. Mix well.

    - Grease idli plates with Oil.

    - Pour the batter into the plates.

6. Steaming:

    - Steam cook in an idli cooker for 10 minutes.

7. Serving:

    - Allow to cool for 2 minutes.

    - Serve hot idlis with chutney and sambar.

Yield:

24 idlis can be prepared with 1 cup Urad Dal and 2 cups Idli Rava.

How to keep grains safe from pests

 How to keep grains safe from pests 

Here are some of the tips

1. Store every grocery item in a separate airtight container.

2. Buy susceptible grains in small quantities. 

3. Complete the leftovers like maida, fine rava etc by adding into roti, snacks etc.

4. Check any grocery item to know whether it is old stock or fresh one, before buying.

5. Use transparent containers as they are easy to see the item and check its remaining quantity.

6. You can even store dals, spices, pulses in freezer of your refrigerator.

7. If you are going on vacation, plan and buy in small quantities.

8. Other methods of preservation include sundrying, dry roasting and microwaving.

Flaxseed Chutney Powder

Flaxseed Chutney Powder/ Agasi Chutney

Ingredients

1 cup Flaxseed

2 spoons Jeera/ Cumin seeds

8 Garlic cloves

4 Dry Red Chilli ( Bydagi)

Salt

Method

1. Dry Roasting:

    - Heat a pan over medium flame.

    - Add flax seeds and dry roast for 2 minutes, until they splutter.

    - Turn off the flame and set aside.

    - Dry roast dry red chillies and garlic cloves separately.

2. Grinding:

    - In a mixer jar, combine:

        - Roasted flax seeds

        - Jeera

        - Garlic cloves

        - Dry red chillies (or red chilli powder)

        - Salt

    - Grind the mixture into a coarse powder.

Result:

    - Flaxseed Chutney Powder is ready!

    - Store in an airtight container for up to 15 days.

 Optional: Add 4-5 curry leaves to the chutney powder for extra flavor.

Instant Jowar Dosa with Onion Tomato Chutney

Instant Jowar Dosa with Onion Tomato Chutney

Easy and Quick 

Ingredients

1 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup Jowar Flour
1/2 spoon Jeera
Salt

Method

In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, jowar flour, jeera and salt. Add sufficient water and mix well. Consistency of dosa batter should not be too thick or too thin. See that there are no lumps. Cook dosa on hot tawa and serve with onion tomato chutney.

Ash Gourd Sandige

 Ash Gourd Sandige

In earlier times, women productively used the summer season to prepare traditional food items like papad and fryums at home. The hot sun provided ideal conditions for drying these items naturally. Families would work together in this process, making large quantities which could be stored and consumed throughout the year. This practice not only ensured food preservation but also reflected good planning, resourcefulness, and the importance of seasonal activities in daily life.

Ingredients
1kg Ash Gourd
250 grams Greengram
250 grams Rice
8 Green Chilli
2 spoons Jeera
2 sprigs Curry Leaves
Salt

Method
Grate ash gourd and keep it aside.
Grind in a mixer jar green gram and rice into a coarse powder.
Grind green chilli, jeera, curry leaves and salt into coarse paste.
In a large vessel, mix grated ash gourd, green gram, rice and green chilli paste.
Soak overnight and next day you can make sandige.
In an open space, spread cotton cloth, make small disc shape sandige and place them on the cloth.
Sundry both sides of sandige for 4  days.
Store in an airtight container and it can be stored for 6 months.
Fry in hot oil when sandige is dried completely and serve as side dish.

Note
Add green chillies as per your requirement, when you soak green chillies with other ingredients, there is less spiciness.

Muruku

Muruku

                                                                         

Ingredients :
2 Cups Rice flour
1 Cup Roasted Chana Dal(powdered)
1 spoon Jeera
Pinch of Asafoetide
1- 2 spoons Red Chilli powder
1/2 spoon Sesame seeds(white) optional
Salt
Oil for frying

Method :
Take a bowl put 2 cups of rice flour , 1 cup roasted chana dal powder.
Add jeera, asafoetida, sesame seeds, red chilli powder, 1 spoon hot oil and salt.
Mix all the ingredients with little water.
Dough should be soft.

Fill dough in chakli maker.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai, press muruku using chakli maker directly into the oil and fry the chaklis on a medium flame until it turns golden brown.
Muruku is ready to serve.

Tips
While frying chakli, drop them gently into the hot oil. 

In second picture, I added 1 spoon butter to rice flour, roasted gram flour, salt, jeera and sesame seeds.

 

 World Environment Day

June 5 is considered as World Environment Day. 

Following are some of them we can practice in our life.

1. Say no to plastic bags, carry your own cloth bag.

2. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

3. Say no to plastic bottles, use stainless steel bottle.

4. Do not Litter.

5. Buy grocery in bulk like for 1 month.

6. Use cloth napkins/ towels instead of tissue.

7. During marriages/ functions one can use stainless steel plates, cups and spoons or eco friendly items.

8. Children can take up activity like sowing mustard seeds, methi seeds, coriander seeds etc at home.

9. Gifting plants as return gifts.

10. Do not waste water.

11. Ecofriendly items like coir, jute, bamboo, banana leaves can be used and are biodegradable.

12. Save forests.

13. Less packaging leads to less trash.

14. Use of Public Transport will reduce pollution.

15. During Travel, carrying your own stainless steel water bottle and cloth napkins.

16. Buy Local products.

17. Instead of buying 5 items, buy 2 of superior quality. It is quality over quantity.

18. Save lakes and ponds.

19. Grow Trees and plants.

20. Plants and flowers can be used as home decor or office decor.

21. Encourage cycling, which is pollution free and reduces traffic congestion. 

22. Fast fashion is not good for our environment. It ends up in textile waste.

23. Trash has to be recycled. It should not be burnt. Burning trash releases toxic smoke which is harmful for environment.

24. Public parks have to be well maintained in the cities.

Chapathi, Paneer Butter Masala and Tamarind Rice.

Chapati, Paneer Butter Masala and Tamarind Rice 

Lunch Menu

Recipe For Tamarind Rice

Recipe For Homemade Paneer

Here I have used store bought paneer for paneer butter masala. I will share the recipe in my future posts.

Alu Bonda

Alu Bonda

Ingredients

3 Potatoes

2 cups Besan Flour ( Gram flour )

1 spoon Jeera

2 spoons Red Chilli powder

Pinch of Cooking Soda

1/2 spoon Mustard Seeds

1 - 2 Green Chilli chopped

4 Curry Leaves

Coriander Leaves chopped

1/4 spoon Turmeric Powder

Salt

Oil for frying

Method :

Cut Potato into 4 pieces and pressure cook for 4 whistles in pressure cooker.

Remove the skin of cooked potatoes and mash evenly.

In a mixing bowl, put besan flour, jeera, red chilli powder, cooking soda, and salt.

Add water and mix well and make thick batter.

In a pan, heat 2 spoons oil, add mustard seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and mashed potatoes.

Add coriander leaves, turmeric powder and salt and mix well.

After it cools down, make lemon size balls and keep it aside.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai for frying.

Now roll potato balls in the batter and deep fry on a medium flame.

Fry both sides till it turns golden brown.

Alu Bonda is ready.

Photo Frame

Photo Frame

Home Decor ( DIY)

Simple diy ( do it yourself) using a photo frame and a cloth.  I will be sharing some of the diys I have tried in my blog.

Mangalore Cucumber Sambar

Mangalore Cucumber Sambar

Ingredients

1/2 cup Toor Dal
1/2 Mangalore Cucumber diced ( seeds removed)
2 spoons Tamarind extract
2 -3 spoons Coconut grated
1/2 spoon Turmeric powder
1 spoon Sambar powder
2 spoons Red Chilli powder
1/2 spoon Mustard seeds
8 Curry Leaves

1/2 spoon Jaggery
Pinch of Asafoetida
Salt
Oil

Method

1. Cooking:

    - In a pressure cooker, combine:

        - Toor Dal

        - Diced Mangalore Cucumber

        - Pinch of Turmeric powder

        - 2 drops of Oil

        - Water

    - Cook on medium flame for 2-3 whistles.

2. Seasoning:

    - In a tadka pan, heat 1 spoon Oil.

    - Add:

        - Mustard seeds

        - Curry Leaves

        - Asafoetida

    - Turn off the flame.

3. Grinding:

    - In a mixer jar, grind Coconut into a fine/coarse paste.

4. Final Preparation:

    - Add the ground paste, seasoned mix, Tamarind extract, Jaggery, Sambar powder, Red Chilli powder, Turmeric powder, and Salt to the cooked Toor Dal.

    - Mix well and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame, until the Sambar starts boiling.

Result:

    Mangalore Cucumber Sambar is ready to serve with rice!

Note: Remember to remove seeds from the cucumber and discard them before using.

Sprouted Horsegram Sabzi

Sprouted Horsegram Sabji

Side Dish

Ingredients

2 cups Sprouted Horsegram
1 Onion chopped
1 spoon Ginger  (optional)
2 Green Chillies chopped
6 Curry Leaves chopped
2 spoons Coriander Leaves chopped
1 spoon Mustard seeds
1 spoon Turmeric Powder
1 spoon Masala powder
1 spoon Grated Coconut
3 spoons Oil
Salt

Method:
Pressure cook sprouted horsegram in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame, add mustard seeds, ginger, onion, green chilli and saute well.
Add  curry leaves, turmeric powder, masala powder.
Transfer cooked horsegram to the pan and mix it to the mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
Add  coconut, salt,  and coriander leaves and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on a medium flame.
Serve Sprouted horsegram Sabzi with Chapati, rice or jowar roti.

Sabudana Fryums

 

Sabudana Fryums

Ingredients
2 cups Sabudana
1/2 spoon Poppy Seeds
Salt as per taste

Method
Soak Sabudana in water overnight or 6 -7 hours.
Wash and drain the water of soaked sabudana.
Cook sabudana with 8 cups water on a low medium flame for 3 - 4 minutes and it turns translucent in color.
Add poppy seeds and salt and cook for 1 minute.
Once sabudana is cooked, turn off the flame and keep it aside.
Spread clean white cotton cloth on terrace or open place where there is sufficient sunlight.
Take a spoon and pour sabudana on white cloth in coin size.
Finish the sabudana mix by pouring on cloth, keeping 1 inch distance between two sabudana fryums.
Allow it to dry for 2 days in the sunlight.
After it has completly dried, wet the cloth and gently peel fryums.
Spread it on a plate and dry for 1 or 2 days in sunlight.
Once they are dried, they are ready.
Fry in the oil and serve as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

Note
You can store in an airtight container for 6 months.
While cooking sabudana, keep stirring in between or else it may stick to the bottom of the vessel.

Jowar Poori with Lady's Finger Sabzi

Jowar Poori with Lady's Finger Sabzi

 Ingredients :

2 cups Jowar Flour

1 cup Wheat Flour

Salt

Oil 

Method 

1. Dough Preparation:

    - In a bowl, combine:

        - Jowar flour

        - Wheat flour

        - Pinch of Salt

    - Gradually add Water and mix well.

    - Knead the dough with 1 spoon Oil for 5-7 minutes.

    - Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

2. Poori Making:

    - Divide the dough into small balls.

    - Roll out each ball into a thin circle, similar to a poori size.

3. Frying:

    - Heat sufficient Oil in a kadai over medium flame.

    - Fry the pooris on both sides until golden brown.

Result:

    - Jowar Poori is ready!

    - Note: Jowar/Sorghum is a gluten-free, and the texture and taste may vary from regular pooris.